Sorrel

Sorrel (Rumex acetosa), also called common sorrel or garden sorrel, is a perennial herb that is cultivated as a garden herb or leaf vegetable (pot herb). Sorrel is also known by the names spinach dock and narrow-leaved dock.

Sorrel
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Core eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Polygonaceae
Genus:	Rumex
Species:	R. acetosa
Binomial name
Rumex acetosa L.
Synonyms
Rumex stenophyllus Ledeb.

Growth

Sorrel is a slender plant. It is about 60 centimetres (cm) high, and it has roots that go far into the ground. Sorrel also has juicy stems and oblong leaves that can be eaten.

Characteristics

It has whorled spikes of reddish-green flowers, which bloom in summer, becoming purplish. The stamens and pistils are on different plants (dioecious); the ripe seeds are brown and shining.

Uses

Common sorrel has been cultivated for centuries. The leaves may be puréed in soups and sauces or added to salads and shav; they have a flavour that is similar to kiwifruit or sour wild strawberries. The plant's sharp taste is due to oxalic acid, which is a poison. In small quantities sorrel is harmless; in large quantities it can be fatal.